Stone Eagle or Ballyneal

[Cliff Walston]

I am sure that the pool of people who have played both is relatively small, but based on what you know/have read/have seen, which would you choose to join if you could and why?

[Tom Huckaby]

I haven't played both, but of course that won't stop me from speculating.

I'd love to be a member at BOTH.  I'd spend May through September at Ballyneal, the rest of the time at Stone Eagle.  Walk all summer, ride all winter.  I'd have a lot of fun without a doubt.

Anyone who blindly picks Ballyneal needs to rememer there's such a thing as weather.  

BTW, even including the 40 folks from here who all played Stone Eagle a few weeks ago, can the pool of people who have played both courses be more than 10 at this point?  20?

TH

[Sean Leary]

Huck,

That pool is getting at least a little bit bigger after this weekend and next week as a few KPV participants head to Colorado.  I can't wait....

[Tom Huckaby]

Huck,

That pool is getting at least a little bit bigger after this weekend and next week as a few KPV participants head to Colorado.  I can't wait....

Understood.  I just hadn't heard YOU were one of them.  Lucky bastard.

I say that with all love and affection, btw.

Seriously though, even after the standard GCA types make their way there... including all raters... will the pool ever get to be more than 100?

It sure isn't re Sand Hills + any other great course you want to name... and Ballyneal remains every bit as private as Sand Hills...

Not that this matters at all, just thinking out loud.

TH

[John Kirk]

I am qualified to answer this question.  To me, the courses are mutually exclusive, in that Stone Eagle is a winter course and Ballyneal will be open from about May until early November.  Choosing one to join would depend on when and where you'd like to have a getaway membership.  Palm Desert is very posh, with swimming pools and movie stars.  Holyoke is rural and friendly, a place where people wave as they pass one another on the road.

The golf courses both have undulating fairways, sloped greens, and artistic bunker work.  Stone Eagle is very scenic, with beautiful short and long range views throught the round.  And as stated many times here, Stone Eagle is a pretty tough walking course, and members will use carts most of the time.

The big difference between the two is the quality of the real estate.  Ballyneal is built on ideal land for golf, while Stone Eagle is built on a more challenging, but equally dramatic site.  Ballyneal is built for walking, and that's real important.

Stone Eagle has a few limitations as a golf course, which were discussed here recently.  Some of the downhill par 4s are similar, and most of the par 3s are downhill "drop shots".  Ballyneal will be subject to fewer generalizations of this type, as the course is blessed with a great variety of holes.

I have played Stone Eagle many times now, and I love it.  I look forward to playing each hole.  I especially enjoy driving the ball there; it is a great tee shot course.  Soon I'll get my first chance to play Ballyneal multiple times, to see how I really like the course.  Apparently the course is still a little soft and slow, as the grass needs to mature for a season or so before the desirable firm and fast conditions can be attained.  Today my greatest concern is whether the course will be hard enough to satisfy low handicap golfers.  At 7000 yards at 3700 feet elevation, the course is both wide and short for the good players.  But the course features remarkably sloped greens and lots of uneven lies in the fairways, so the course theoretically should protect par well, especially when the turf firms up and the wind blows.  I'll know a lot more in a couple weeks.

Feel free to ask further questions here or by IM.

[Dan Kelly]

Palm Desert is very posh, with swimming pools and movie stars.  Holyoke is rural and friendly, a place where people wave as they pass one another on the road.

That rural Midwestern index-finger-off-the-steering-wheel wave?

One of the great "heartland" traditions, for my money.

I imagine, in Southern California, a wave with a different finger is more common!

Give me Holyoke, any time.

[Tom Huckaby]

I too love that midwestern tradition.

But you know what is as neat/friendly/cool, if not more so?

The "shaka" wave with pinky and thumb up, hand wiggled side to side, that one and all do on the roads in Hawaii.  I never had so much fun as embarassing my daughter doing that to every driver I saw, and getting it back every single time.  

Re these golf courses, John you were the one I was waiting for to respond to this.  No one will be more qualified that you to answer, that's for sure.  I'm looking forward to your further thoughts re Ballyneal once you play it more.  

I still think the best thing will be to summer at Ballyneal, winter at Stone Eagle.  It sure looks like one would never tire of either course.

TH

ps - of course we all know the elephant standing in the corner... the real question that is dying to be answered... Ballyneal or Sand Hills.  Our Socal visitors will have unique insight on that shortly... and of course I wouldn't knock anyone who declines to answer that, as for so many reasons silence would be golden... but we all know that's the elephant.  He's over there, snorting.  

[Craig Van Egmond]

Tom,

Well since Sand Hills is full and I'm sure has quite a waiting list, not much thinking needs to happen.

Ballyneal is open 2 more more months than Sand Hills and is easier to get to than Sand Hills, which should help.  

I would think if your going to join Ballyneal you should move quickly though.

[HamiltonBHearst]

I have heard Stone Eagle is much too difficult around the greens and for the high handicap player. My vote, based on Ran's write-up, Ballyneal.

[Steve_Roths]

Craig,

The only problem is that Ballyneal is twice the cost of Sand Hills.  

That being said, Ballyneal will far outdo Dismal River.  They are going to have a hard struggle to come close to 100 members outside of Sand Hill members joining for the nicer accomodations.

[Tom Huckaby]

I have heard Stone Eagle is much too difficult around the greens and for the high handicap player. My vote, based on Ran's write-up, Ballyneal.

Then you would have heard correctly.
Of course, basing one's entire decision on such a minor critique would also be rather silly.

But silliness is the coin of your realm, Hammy.  So well done.

Craig:  the elephant I'm thinking of obviously isn't so practical as where to join, but rather which is the superior golf course.

TH

[HamiltonBHearst]

This website has a wonderful review with pictures of Ballyneal.
Why would that not be enough?  Ran provides the most comprehsive reviews of golf course that I have seen anywhere.

I base my feelings on Stone Eagle on the comments of people on this site many of whom are esteemed raters.  Why have raters if I can't rely on their course comments to form opinions?

[Tom Huckaby]

Hammy:

Of course one can choose to rely on the opinions of others.

But if one does, one also ought to really read what those opinions are.  Although I do maintain - and did for 16 pages more or less - that Stone Eagle's greens are too severe for the high handicap player - I also said straight from the start that I intended that as a small critique in an otherwise very positive assessment of the golf course.  Some chose to disagree with my small critique, I chose to defend it, thus the lengthy "discussion."  But I never meant it as anything but a small critique.  

So if you choose to base your entire assessment on this, well I guess I ought to feel honored.  I just wouldn't agree with you.

In any case yes, Ran's reviews are fantastic.  This one makes me want to do whatever I can to see the golf course, for sure.  

TH

[John_Cullum]

That rural Midwestern index-finger-off-the-steering-wheel wave?

One of the great "heartland" traditions, for my money.

In my part of the world, the greeting is only exchanged between those  driving pickup trucks, although some are extending the privelege to certain SUV drivers.

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